‘Refugees returning from India increasing’

More than 5,000 refugees belonging to 500 families had already returned to Mannar, Vavunniya, Kilinochchi and Mulaitivu Districts and many more were on their way, the Secretary said. “There are 1, 359 refugee returnees in this district so far”.

Citizenship is a major issue faced by the generation that were born to Sri Lanka parents in refugee camps in India. Subramanium Padmanadan of Pirmanalankulam a refugee returned recently, said his son who was born in India had not received his citizenship from the Sri Lankan government.

“Both my children were born in the refugee camps as I got married while we were there. When we returned I applied for citizenship for both my children and only my daughter has got her papers,” he said.

His son has to sit for the GCE O/L examination this year and there is no way of applying for the examination if he does not have an identity card. “For him to get an identity card he has to be a citizen first. The only things we need at the moment are his papers and a permanent roof over our heads, we will manage with whatever that comes after,” Padmanadan said.

However, Vavuniya District Secretary said that none of the refugees had met him or informed him of any issues pertaining to their citizenship. “As long as their parents are Sri Lankans there should be no problem at all”.

We have already provided houses for 60 families and do our best to get houses for the remaining families as soon as possible,” he said.the houses valued at Rs. 8 lakhs each was one of the many steps taken by the government. “We are collecting the data to establish a scheme to provide them with Samurdhi benefits as well,” Pushpakumara said.

A refugee R. Panjavarnam, from Thambasinnakulam who had escaped the war in 1990, requested other Sri Lankan refugees still in India not to return to their homes as yet. “The battle with guns and bullets are over but the battle to earn a living has now begun,” she said.

Many face mental issues due to the sudden change in livelihood and surrounding. Lingaraja Ganga who spoke to us said her sister who has returned to the country had committed suicide. “There was no one to speak to, no one that she knew, nowhere to work and she was surrounded by a jungle,” she said.

Ganga said the change was not an easy one to deal with. She had left her husband and her work behind to return home after 25 years to take care of her ailing mother. “I returned with my daughter. I work as a pre-school teacher now. The change is very difficult for us to deal with as we are not used to such a surrounding nor the environment here,” she said.